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A well-chosen backpack takes into account your height, gender, body shape and torso measurements. Take your time to get the right fit at the store before heading out on the trail.

Steps

Part 1

Measuring Your Body

1

Measure your waist size. Use a fabric measuring tape to determine the circumferences of your natural waist. This number will correspond with the backpack belt.

2

Ask a friend to take a torso measurement. Start at the base of your neck at the seventh cervical vertebra and continue along your spine until you reach the iliac crest. The iliac crest is the top front of your hip, and you will need to show your helper where the level of the iliac crest is on your spine with your fingers.

Find the seventh cervical vertebrae by standing up straight. Tuck your head forward. The neck vertebra that sticks out the farthest is your seventh cervical vertebra.

The iliac crest is a bump at the side of your hip. It is not the top of your hip on your back. This bump is farther forward in women, and usually at the direct side of the hip in men.

Place your hand on your hip, between your thumb and forefinger, to mark the line of the iliac crest for the helper.[1]

Part 2

Choosing Your Fit

1

Choose a woman’s fit if you have a slender body. Men with slender frames can get a better fit with a woman’s pack than with a men’s pack.

2

Pick a unisex fit if you have a wide frame. Women with broader chests or shoulders can get a better fit with a unisex pack, because women’s fit packs tend to have a narrower shoulder construction.

3

Look for a men’s or unisex fit if you have very broad shoulders. You may need to get a replacement shoulder harness, so look for a pack that allows you to replace belts and harnesses.

Part 3

Approximating Size

1

Find a small frame pack if your torso measurement is smaller than 18 inches (46 cm). It is unlikely standard packs will adjust to accommodate you comfortably.

2

Choose a medium frame pack if your torso measurement is between 18 and 20 inches (46 to 51 cm).

3

Go for a large framed pack if your torso measurement is over 20 inches (51 cm).

4

Pick a belt size based on your waist measurement. A waist 28 inches or smaller needs a small or extra small belt. A waist over 36 inches will need an extra large belt.

You may want to test medium and large belts for comfort if you are in between this range.

Part 4

Testing the Backpack

1

Go to an outdoor store that offers a wide variety of packs, so that you can look through the sizes and test how these subtle differences in construction feel. Pick a pack and ask the associate to help you test it.

2

Load 20 lbs.(9 kg) of weight into the pack. Most outdoor stores have sandbags that will allow you to test weight without taking too much time packing individual gear in the pack.[2]

3

Loosen all of the straps along the shoulders, waist and hips. You don’t want them to be cinched up until you start putting the pack on your back.

4

Place the shoulders in the loosened straps. Lean forward and allow the pack to spread across your back. Tighten the shoulder straps slightly.[3]

Community Q&A

Tips

Adjusting the straps during a hiking trip is normal. Make sure the shoulder straps, load lifters and hip belt are easy to adjust. Although the hips should absorb most of the weight, you can tighten the load lifters and shoulder straps to occasionally take some weight off of your hips on a long day.

Article Info

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 8,558 times.